PM Comparison Test: 5 Drill Presses

We test affordable benchtop drill presses.

When it comes to shop equipment, it's easy to see which tools are the most popular. There's always a new table saw with innovative features, a redesigned compound miter saw with greater capacity and more accuracy than last year's, or a planer that delivers a flatter, smoother surface than ever before. But after all the hype has settled to the showroom floor, you'll find one machine sitting quietly in the corner, doing the same job it has for decades, with little change or help from the marketing team. The tool, of course, is a drill press, and if you don't have one, it's time to look at the reasons why you should.

While a drill press can be thought of as the stationary version of an ordinary handheld portable drill, there are important differences. Most portable drills these days have variable-speed, reversible motors and are designed for driving threaded fasteners as much as boring holes. And, while corded versions do have serious power, they don't approach the torque available in a drill press. On the other hand, except for occasional stints with a sanding drum, a drill press is exclusively designed for making holes. And, it handles this job with a level of repeatable accuracy and control that's impossible to maintain with a portable tool.

Drill presses come in two flavors: floor models and those designed to be mounted on a bench. While the floor models have greater capacity, most home shops will find a benchtop press completely adequate—plus it's compact so it can be moved out of the way when necessary. Best of all, the benchtop versions are easily affordable. Our samples range in price from about $110 to $210, with an average that's about what you'd pay for a good 12-volt cordless drill kit.

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border="1" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="0">DRILL PRESS SPECIFICATIONSMANUFACTURERMODELPRICE1TOOL SIZE2 (in.)CHUCK SIZE (in.)AMPS3SPEEDSSPEED RANGE (rpm)STROKE4 (in.)TABLE SIZE (width x depth)VERTICAL CAPACITY5 (in.)WEIGHT (lb.)RUNOUT6 (in.)DELTADP350$210121/26variable500 to 31003-1/49-1/2 x 9-1/2 in.18-1/878.001CRAFTSMAN21912$180121/265540 to 36002-3/88-1/2 x 10 in.23-1/480.003WOODTEK109-367$110101/29.45720 to 32502-3/88-1/4 x 8-1/4 in.15-1/470.003DELTADP200$120101/23.25620 to 31002-1/47-3/4 x 7-3/4 in.14-1/270.001RYOBIDP120$149121/2512280 to 30003-1/810 in. dia.18-1/284.0011. Estimated street price. Prices will vary. 2. Dimension shown is twice the distance from bit center to support column. 3. As indicated on drill press. 4. Maximum quill travel (and hole depth). 5. Distance from the chuck to the table at its lowest point. 6. Runout measured at test shaft mounted in chuck. Runout at machine spindle (without chuck) is nil on all machines.DRILL PRESS FEATURES Drill presses are designated by the maximum-diameter workpiece, in inches, that can be centered under the bit. To understand how much a drill press can handle, divide this number in half to get the throat depth, or distance from the bit to the support column at the back of the machine. This dimension indicates how far you can place a hole from the edge of your work.

All of our machines come with induction motors, and all but one deliver power through a belt running around a pair of stepped pulleys. In most cases, this provides five speeds, although our Ryobi press has 12. The Delta DP350 has continuously variable speed, achieved mechanically through variable pulleys.

Chuck size for typical benchtop units is 1/2 in. Chucks are mounted on tapered spindles—a tap with a mallet keeps the chuck in place and the tapered fit guarantees accuracy. We measured runout (lateral deviation as the spindle is turned) on the spindle and on a machined test shaft mounted in the chuck, and found all our machines well within acceptable tolerances.

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Drill press spindles run in a quill, or hollow shaft, that's designed to move up and down in the housing. Quill travel determines the maximum hole depth. All of our units have a depth stop so that you can bore holes or counterbores to a uniform depth. Some machines have a quill lock that allows you to lock the spindle at any position within its range.

Typically, drill press tables are small and reflect the machine's heritage as a metalworking tool that handles relatively small workpieces. The average table size is about 8-3/4 in. square, and the usual design features slots for attaching jigs, vises or the work itself to the table. Our larger Delta machine has T channels instead of slots, providing a place for lubricant to collect when working with metal. The slotted tables are handier for woodworkers because they make it easier to attach a large wooden table to better support bigger work.

All drill press tables can pivot at their connection to the support column to handle angled boring. This feature also allows the tables to be accurately squared with the bit. However, we found that most tables were slightly out of square on a plane viewed from the side of the tool, where there is no adjustment. Most of our test machines have a crank-operated table lifting mechanism.

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DELTA DP350 Delta offers a selection of benchtop drill presses ranging in size from 8 to 12 in. The DP350 is at the top of the line and comes with several features that we think make it worth its price. Variable speed is accomplished through two split pulleys that open and close as the adjustment dial is turned while the machine is running. The system is quiet, free from vibration, and so easy to use, you won't hesitate to change speeds for one special hole as you might be tempted to do with the other units.

With a 3-1/4-in. stroke, this machine will bore the deepest holes of the lot, and there's a quill lock to hold the chuck at any height. The depth stop is a threaded rod with a quick-release nut for fast operation. As for the table, its T channels make it a bit trickier to bolt on a vise or panel. And, woodworkers might find the channels annoying to clean. Delta also offers another 12-in. version (DP300) that has five fixed speeds and a standard slotted table. Both models come with an adjustable lamp that keeps the work area well lit.

According to the manual, the Delta variable transmission requires weekly lubrication. The access cover that you'll need to remove to do the job is held in place with small screws that are easy to lose. And, while Delta provides a speed chart offering appropriate speeds for various bits and materials, the speed dial on our machine indicated only the lowest and highest speeds.

CRAFTSMAN 21912 This machine from Sears is the only unit in our group that addresses the common need of woodworkers to bore a series of holes parallel to an edge by including a lightweight fence that's held to the table with bolts and thumbscrews. The Craftsman machine has the tallest column—giving it the greatest capacity between the chuck and the table. However, the 2-3/8-in. stroke was, along with that of the Woodtek and smaller Delta, on the short side in our test group.

Like the Delta DP350, the Craftsman has a threaded-rod depth stop adjustment, only here there's no quick-release nut. And there's no provision for locking the quill.

This tool performed well, and although tilting the table was difficult, it wasn't that much easier on most of the other tools. Loosening belt tension to change speeds was more difficult than with most.

WOODTEK 109-367 Although this drill press is only a 10-in. model, and you'll forgo the crank-operated table lifting mechanism all the others have, it's a lot of machine for its price. We found it to be a very smooth-running tool, and we rank it high for fit and finish. The 9.4-amp motor has more than ample power, and the spring-loaded motor mount makes it easy to slack off belt tension when changing speeds.

Instead of the threaded-rod depth stop mechanisms found on the Delta and Craftsman machines, the Woodtek has a dial-type adjuster that's graduated in inches. This mechanism is quickly set by zeroing the scale while the quill is held at the desired depth. The table angle is locked by a relatively large and accessible bolt. However, the table was further out of square than our other machines when measured on the side plane of the tool. To bore perfectly square, deep holes, shimming the table where it joins its column support casting is necessary. Woodtek tools are available from Woodworker's Supply, 1108 N. Glenn Rd., Casper, WY 82601; www.woodworker.com.

If your work frequently demands angled holes (chair making is one area, for example, where holes are often not square to the work surface), you should know that tilting the table isn't your only option for getting the job done. A radial drill press has a fixed table and a drilling head that pivots so your work can stay on a level surface while you bore angled holes.

Radial drill presses used to be more popular than they are today—if manufacturers' offerings are any indication. In fact, the only medium-duty model we found available is this one sold by Grizzly Industrial. It's a substantial unit featuring a 5/8-in. chuck and a 1/2-hp, 5-amp motor. But, the most amazing specification is the throat dimension. With the drilling head fully extended, the distance from the bit center to the support column is 17 in.—the equivalent of a 34-in. drill press.

In addition to moving horizontally and pivoting on the horizontal support, the entire assembly rotates on the vertical column, permitting the head to be angled and positioned just about anywhere you need it—even over the floor for greater capacity.

Like our other standard drill presses, this model has a belt drive and five speeds, and the quill stroke is 3 in. The Grizzly G7945 costs about $150 and is available from Grizzly Industrial, P.O. Box 2069, Bellingham, WA 98227; www.grizzly.com.

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DELTA DP200 The 10-in. DP200, with its standard 5-speed stepped-pulley transmission, is comparable to the Woodtek unit in capacity, but has a few extra creature comforts that may make it worth its slightly higher price. Like the DP350, it has a lamp that can be adjusted to suit the job at hand, but it doesn't have a quill lock. Unlike the similar Woodtek, this tool has a crank mechanism for adjusting table height. Although adjusting table angle wasn't as easy as it was with the Woodtek tool, the Delta table was just about perfectly square when measured on the side plane. This is a nicely detailed unit that would serve any shop for light-duty work. However, with its 3.2-amp motor, large holes need to be approached with patience.

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RYOBI DP120 With 12 speeds and an ample 3-1/8-in. stroke, this Ryobi 12-in. drill press has the specifications to take on a wide range of work. Speed changing, though, can be a chore as the transmission uses two belts and a third stepped idler pulley. The design makes it easy to slacken the belts, but some speed changes require belt removal. All in all, we'd opt for the five speeds found on most other units.

Unlike any other machine in our group, the Ryobi has a round table that can pivot in its support arm—a useful feature, perhaps, for boring holes in a circular pattern. The dial-type depth gauge is similar to that on the Woodtek, and it is equally easy to adjust and set.

The Ryobi is a noisier tool than most—perhaps a result of the twin belts, although the runout measurements on a test spindle in the chuck were very good. Most of all, the tool suffers from poor attention to detail. The castings, in particular, are of lower quality than most of the other machines in our group. Ryobi tools are available at The Home Depot, www.homedepot.com.

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PRESSED TO CHOOSE If money is no object, the Delta DP350 is our first choice within this group. It has the features, power and capacity to handle a wide range of jobs—plus its variable-pulley transmission makes it easy to adjust the speed quickly. Of course we'd rather have a slotted table, but it's a small inconvenience considering the overall quality of the tool.

Next, we'd pick the Craftsman 21912. It's a less industrial tool than the Delta and lacks the bells and whistles, but it has decent capacity and no glaring problems. At the 10-in. size, we find both the Woodtek and Delta DP200 running neck and neck. The Delta has the edge for features, and fit and finish, while the Woodtek comes way ahead in terms of power.

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As for the Ryobi DP120, its 12 speeds may be exactly what you need for your work. However, we'd forgo this wide selection for a smoother-running unit with a bit more attention to detail.

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